The Carbon Footprint Of Worldwide Food Losses And Food Waste Amountsto The Equivalent Of 33 Giga Tons Of Co2 Emissions1 Compared To Thecosup2 Emissions Of Individual Countries This Volume Ranks Third Amongthe Worldrsquos Biggest Greenhouse Gas Emitters After China And Theusa What This Means In Concrete Terms Is That The Greenhouse Gasassociated With The Production Processing Transport And Storage Of Allnonconsumed Food Corresponds To Roughly Half Of What Both China Andthe Usa Emit Into The Atmosphere Each Year For Germany This Figurestands At Approximately One Giga Ton Ie Less Than One Third Of Allglobal Emissions Caused By Food Loss And Waste 33 Giga Tons Ndash Or 33billion Tons In Other Words Ndash Are An Enormous Amount By Comparisonthe Greenhouse Gas Emissions Associated With Road Traffic In All Of Theusa Totalled 15 Giga Tons In 20102broken Down Into Food Categories Cereals At 34 Account For Thebiggest Share In Greenhouse Gas Emissions Caused By Food Loss Andwaste Followed By Meat And Vegetables At 21 Each At Only 5 Thepercentage Of Meat In The Total Amount Of Food Loss Is Far Lower Than Thatof Cereals 25 And Vegetables Below 25 This Means Meat Has Aclearly Bigger Carbonfootprint Because It Causes In Excess Of One Fifthof Greenhouse Gas Emissions3 In Germany The Situation Is Quite Similarin North Rhinewestphalia For Example Meat Accounts For Almost Halfthe Carbon Footprint In The Food Value Chain Ndash While Only Accounting Forabout 10 Of Total Food Waste Volume4the Main Reasons For Meatrsquos Very Large Carbon Footprint Lie In The Highlevels Of Energy And Resources Needed To Grow Feed In The Machineryused For Raising And Transporting Livestock In Refrigeration Ndash And Last Butnot Least In The Substantial Co2emissions Of Ruminants This Is Also Whycattle Raising Is Considered Particularly Greenhousegas Intensivelosses And Carbon Footprints Also Vary Across The Various Stages In Thevalue Chain The Highest Losses Occur In Production Whereas Carbonfootprint Is At Its Largest In The Consumption Stage5 Ndash Also Due To Theenergy Required For Storage And Cooking In Private Householdsrestaurants Canteens And The Like 2 Greenhouse Gas Emitted In Food Manufacturing Transport And Storageputs A Burden On The Environment But If This Food Then Even Perishes Oris Disposed Of These Pollutants Have Been Emitted To The Atmospherewithout Any Benefit Minimising Waste And Loss Is Thereforeindispensable For These Reasons Alone Add To This The Fact That One Ineight Human Beings On Earth Suffer From Hunger While One Third Of Allproduced Foodstuffs Are Not Consumedthe Whole Set Of Problems Associated With Food Loss And Waste Will Beon The Agenda Of The Second International Save Food Congress Induumlsseldorf From 7 To 8 May As The No 1 Trade Fair For The Packagingsector And Related Process Industries Interpack Provides An Idealplatform For Bringing Together Industry Experts From Companies Andassociations With Policymakers And Key Figures In Society1 Food Wastage Footprint Ndash Impacts On Natural Resources Fao 20132 Ibid3 Ibid4 Reduction Of Food Waste Study By Muumlnster University Of Applied Sciences March 20125 Food Wastage Footprint Ndash Impacts On Natural Resources Fao 2013about Save Foodsave Food Is A Joint Initiative Of The Food And Agriculture Organisation Of Theunited Nations Fao And Messe Duumlsseldorf Gmbh Against Worldwide Foodloss And Waste Since The Beginning Of 2013 The Initiative Has Also Beensupported By The United Nations Environment Programme Unep Savefood Seeks To Network Between The Relevant Players In Business Governmentand Research Encourage Dialogue And Help To Find Solutions Along The Foodvalue Chain Another Aim Is To Initiate And Promote Special Save Foodprojects With Support From Industry Save Food Was Launched In Duumlsseldorfin May 2011 With An International Convention And An Exhibition As Part Ofinterpack The Worldrsquos Leading Trade Fair In The Packaging Industry And Therelated Processing Industry As Before Experts From Business Government Andpublic Life Will Be Meeting At Interpack 2014 On The 7 And 8 May To Discuss Theissue Of Food Loss And Waste Further Details Can Be Found At Wwwsavefoodorgnbsp
